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Lowell City Council Conducts Special Investigation Into Back-Door Deals

Posted at 10:37 PM, Apr 07, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-07 22:37:13-04

LOWELL, Mich. (April 7, 2014) – Accusations of use of company vehicles and deals being done behind closed doors has prompted an investigation by the Lowell City Council into Lowell Light and Power.

A member of the public brought the issue to the city council.  Ralph Brecken showed pictures of utility trucks along with claims that the trucks were being used for personal reasons.

The hope was the pictures would prompt an investigation into whether the board of light and power was allowing this to happen.  There were also claims Mayor James Hodges and the Lowell City Manager were at a board of light and power meeting when they allegedly decided, behind closed doors, that take home vehicles were allowed in some circumstances.

The city council is looking to see if the board violated the Open Meetings Act if a decision was made during closed session.  FOX 17 asked the mayor about the accusations and he said if the Open Meetings Act was violated he didn’t mean for that to happen.

The board agreed to set a special meeting to investigate the claims although no date for the meeting was set.  FOX 17 attempted to ask the Lowell Light and Power commissioner for comment on the claims, we were told ‘no comment’.